Gestational surrogacy can be stressful for both the surrogate and the IPs. For the surrogate, she must balance her desire to achieve and maintain a healthy pregnancy with the challenges of managing her daily life and relationship with her intended parent partners. For IPs, surrogacy can just be one more step in a long road to building a family. They may just be waiting for something to go wrong.

Finding strategies to manage these high levels of stress can go a long way toward creating a rewarding relationship between the surrogate and the IP and enjoying the surrogacy journey together.

Get Off on the Right Foot

Stress management should begin with counseling for both the surrogate and the IPs. Your agency will likely insist upon it. There can be many bumps in the road to successful surrogacy and creating a plan to navigate them can help to minimize long-term impact.

Anticipate Issues That Can Cause Stress

Work with your agency or attorney to get every variable committed to paper so that you won’t have to worry about it down the line. The more that you spell out clearly, the less room there is for uncertainty.

Take Care of Yourself

Self care is critical whether you are a surrogate or an intended parent. For surrogates, the physical and emotional stresses of pregnancy can take their toll. For intended parents – you’re going to have a baby soon! Use this time wisely to prepare mentally and physically.

• Get plenty of rest
• Exercise daily and eat healthy foods.
• Practice calming activities like meditation or yoga.
• Don’t over-commit yourself.

Find Support

Rely on friends and family when you get overwhelmed or join a support group where you can talk to others experiencing the same stressors.

Communicate

Talk to your agency representative if you have questions. Speak to your doctor if you experience worrisome physical symptoms. Send a quick email to your surrogate/IPs if there is anything on your mind you’d like to discuss. Open channels of communication are key. It’s the unknown that frequently causes stress.

Consider Therapy

If none of these suggestions are doing the trick and your stress is at an unmanageable level, it may be time to speak to a professional who understands what you are going through and is able to offer proven stress relief strategies.

Ready to begin your surrogacy journey or want to learn more? Contact the experts at Surrogate Solutions. Gayle and her staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have about what to expect from your surrogacy journey as an IP or gestational surrogate. We manage every step of the process to reduce your stress and help you begin your surrogacy with confidence.